Aqua
by Crystallized Dreamz
Summary: AU. In the year of 2068, science is at its finest. With the technology they have now, it was possible to finally get to the bottom of the ocean without the weight of it crushing down on them- but they never expected the mythical creature known as a mermaid to actually exist. RinHaru.
1. Chapter 1

**Aqua**

**Summary: **AU. In the year of 2068, science is at its finest. With the technology they have now, it was possible to finally get to the bottom of the ocean without the weight of it crushing down on them- but they never expected the mythical creature known as a _mermaid_ to actually exist. RinHaru.

**A/N: **I know, odd summary. Probably think of a better one soon.

* * *

**Chapter One**

Rin Matsuoka was a prodigy. No qualms about it. Somehow he always managed to figure things out before anyone else.

Sure, he didn't have the best grades in the world. He didn't go out and attempt to find cures for unknown diseases and he certainly wasn't the boss of a major company.

Rin Matsuoka was one of the best swimmers Japan had to offer- meaning he was always crowded by people wanting autographs. He had no interests in it though- swimming was just part of his career.

Sometimes, he liked to go explore the oceans, more or less to be alone to think. In all honesty, swimming was something he never wanted to do again after the... _incident _that happened years ago. But he continued to swim, because the image of his closest ever friend flickered in his head:

_'I always feel free in the water, which is why I swim free. The water won't harm me- and it won't ever harm you, Rin.' _- So many years ago, his best friend Haruka Nanase had told him this. He merely laughed it off, wrapping an arm round his classmate's shoulder.

That _incident_... happened later that day after he heard his friend speak those very words.

**Free! Iwatobi Swim Club**

_'Surprised hardly anyone's here,' Rin spoke, looking around the beach and watched a few younger kids play in the sand. 'It's sunny, so why is no one out?'_

_'That swimming tournament at the school is taking place now, a lot of people are going there because some of the fastest teen swimmers are there.' said Haru, brushing his black hair away from his eyes. Rin glanced at him and then closed his eyes and grinned._

_'You wouldn't mind that, now would you? You near enough get the water to yourself!' he laughed, before opening his eyes when he heard a splash. He saw his friend jump in without a second thought- shortly after he jumped in as well, going straight under the water before he popped back up, taking a deep breath. 'Where'd you go? I know you're a fast swimmer and all, but you're not that fast!'_

_Rin kept himself floating, glancing around himself before swimming forward a bit. He waited, wondering where his friend would surface- but after twenty odd seconds he still hadn't seen sight of him._

_'Haruka?'_

_He looked around himself before snapping his goggles over his eyes, diving under the water and having a look around before swimming deeper._

_There was still no sign of him._

_After he felt his chest tighten and his body gave signal to go get air, he went back to the surface, taking a deep breath in._

_'Haruka! Come out, this isn't funny!' there was silence again before Rin puffed his cheek out and shouted again. 'Fine! Don't come out then!'_

_He swam to the shore and waited there, hoping Haru would make some form of appearance- but he never did._

…

**Free! Iwatobi Swim Club**

Rin shook his head, sitting back in his bedroom and sighed softly.

After that day, Haruka was never seen again. He should have knew that something had happened after his friend didn't show his face-

But what could have happened? Haru wouldn't– no, _couldn't _have drowned. He didn't want to admit it back then, but Haru was a stronger swimmer than he was. He also knew Haru would be a better swimmer today if he was still here.

So what _exactly _happened to him? Rin didn't know. He didn't want to know. Nearly 8 years had passed since that day...

And he would never forget that day.

He flicked his television on and then flopped on his bed, hardly caring to go for a jog like he told himself. His red eyes focused on the TV, before his expression got irked when it showed the news, set at the ocean not far away from him. He was about to change the channel, but what the damn woman said next caused him to stop.

"**According to the fisherman here, they've captured what they could only describe as a 'mermaid' while throwing there net into sea. According to scientists, it is the only thing they can call it at this moment in time," **Rin rolled his eyes. A mermaid. Caught in the ocean not far away from him. They expected him to believe this? Probably, but there was no way he was going to think about it. He watched the woman stop and press a hand on her ear, clearly listening. **"According to a recent update, the creature seems to be male, meaning... It could be a merman?"**

Rin stared at the screen before he turned the television off, deciding to go for his jog.

He would jog near that ocean. Not that he was curious or anything.

**Free! Iwatobi Swim Club**

The instant he got to the beach, he was quite happy that no one seemed to notice he was there. Everyone seemed to be focused on the news crew- who were talking to the fisherman who caught the so-called 'mermaid' or 'merman'. Rin still didn't believe it existed.

_'You never knew Rin, maybe they do exist- they just live so far under that we'll never know they existed,' h_e could remember Haru was fascinated with the thought of mermaids. Never stopped talking about them. _'If I could, I would be a mermaid. Imagine being able to swim all day and never leaving the water?'_

He stood with the ground, peeked over at the van that seemed to be parked on the sand, the back doors open and from what he could tell there was a tank in there. He would be lying if he wasn't a _little _curious as to what they had found, but all the same he found it stupid that some many reporters were here for something that could be a false rumour.

He sighed, before he turned to leave- until he caught out the corner of his eye a hand pressing against the tank before the van door was shut quickly.

"... What the hell?" Rin narrowed his red eyes before he jogged off again. He was determined to figure out what was in that tank now.

Because if he didn't, he knew he would regret it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Aqua**

**Summary: **AU. In the year of 2068, science is at its finest. With the technology they have now, it was possible to finally get to the bottom of the ocean without the weight of it crushing down on them- but they never expected the mythical creature known as a _mermaid_ to actually exist. RinHaru.

**A/N: **Well, I got a few reviews and story alerts on this story, so I thought 'Hey, why not? I'm in the writing mood anyway.' So here I am, posting yet another chapter.

**Replies:**

**_x Kiyoshi_ x - **Updated :) Sorry for the suckiness lol~

_**Bunny-Fwuffy-Ears**_- Here it is! Haru as a merman always sounds nice~ Sorry for the suckiness of this chapter~

* * *

**Chapter Two**

The next day, Rin could hear everyone around him talking about the 'mermaid' that was found yesterday. He didn't care about their thought and opinions on it were. He was here to swim.

Since yesterday, he wondered what else could be in the ocean- the ocean he promised ever to go back into, ever. He walked in, already stripped down to his swimming shorts before finally deep enough to swim under.

He had forgotten how calming it was to be under water without having to race someone. Was This what Haru liked the most? The calmness the water brought him? Rin used to find it ridiculous, but now... Not so much.

He swam deeper, looking around himself before stopping.

_'I like the water. It lets me think.' _Rin knew Haru used to always say that, but why was he thinking about it now? He'd been trying to forget everything about the black haired boy he...

He suddenly swam up to the surface, taking a deep breath in before brushing his hair out of his face, looking around himself before shaking his head and swimming to the shore.

"... Idiot," he didn't know who he referring to- himself or Haru. "Stupid idiot."

He swam back to shore, rubbing his temple in irritation before his attention was caught onto what two girls were saying.

"You remember that they might have found a mermaid yesterday, right?" a girl with brown hair said excitedly, clapping her hands. "I heard it was taken to a research centre not too far away!"

"When do you think we'll get to see it? And wasn't it a merman?" said the other girl, also brown haired. "Besides, I doubt it is either of those- it can't speak apparently."

"Maybe it's scared?"

"Tsk. It's just some form of unknown sea creature."

Rin paused, before wracking his brain for a close research centre nearby. There was one a few miles past his old High School, but there was a chance it wasn't actually the research facility he was thinking of.

He shrugged, before heading back to his house.

"I'll figure out where it is once I get back."

**Free! Iwatobi Swim Club**

Dressed in his tracksuit with his headphones placed upon his head, Rin put on a few upbeat tracks before glancing at his phone.

Iwatobi Research Facility. It was definitely there. How did he know? He didn't really, but his gut was telling him that. He would head in that direction while going on his evening jog.

Leaving his house, it wasn't long before he passed Iwatobi High School- and he couldn't help but stop to look at it, staring at the newly designed building before pushing sweat slicked hair away from his eyes.

"It doesn't feel like much time since I was last there," he murmured to himself, before changing the track on his phone and jogging off again. It felt like seconds had gone by before he was standing in front of the Iwatobi Research facility. "Looks pretty new. Don't remember passing it before."

He stood at the gate, before sighing.

"As much as my head is telling me to come here, there's no chance that I'll be allowed to see..." he closed his eyes before taking out his phone again. "Maybe I should just head back home-"

"Are you Rin Matsuoka? One of Japan's best swimmers?" Rin paused before looking behind himself, noticing an old man dressed in a long white coat. He focused on the mans face, raising a brow.

"I didn't realize someone would recognize me from behind." Rin went silent before opening his mouth to speak again, but was quickly cut off.

"Perfect! This is perfect!" the old man looked so happy- and Rin could only think the man had gone crazy. "You must have heard about the creature found at Iwatobi bay, right? I would like you to come see it!"

"...Eh?" the gate behind Rin suddenly opened, the old man grabbing his arm and pulling him along. "Hold on old man, why me?"

"You're a swimmer, right? And a talented one at that! You might be able to understand it better than us!" Rin rolled his eyes at that, but let himself get pulled along. What kind of logic was that? Never mind, someone how mucked up logic had gotten him into the place he wanted to be-

And maybe now he would find out why he wanted to come here in the first place.

**Free! Iwatobi Swim Club**

It was a long process. A severely long, boring and irritating process.

Rin was annoyed. Pissed. Irked. A lot of words could describe what he was feeling right now.

First he had to go through paperwork saying he would _not _say anything to anyone about what he has seen her, then he had to go shower and change clothes for hygiene reasons- and _then _had to sign a contract saying he would be involved in the research of this project.

Honestly, why did they have to have so many damn things to fill in?

Not that it mattered now, he had already done everything they had asked (not to mention scared some of them into running away with his shark like teeth). He walked behind the old man, who seemed to be quite pleased with himself for getting Rin into the building; before they stopped outside a sealed, coded door.

"Behind this is the creature. We've given it a large tank and also filled it with natural ocean water, which we change hourly," the old man informed him. "I'll send you in alone, since the creature doesn't seem to like it went a large amount of us go in- but we'll be watching you through camera's already in the room."

Rin nodded in understanding, watching as the old man placed the code into the grid beside the door. A click was heard moments later and the door opened slightly.

"Good luck."

Rin didn't say a word, just chose to walk through the door before shutting it behind him. He raised his head and stared into the tank, before his eyes widened in surprise.

He almost thought the creature was a human- until he saw the sleek black tail located where a human legs would be. He looked somewhat mesmerized by the tail, before he vaguely wondered why it was black.

Weren't mermaids more known to have brightly coloured tails? His eyes then drifted up to stare at the mermaid's- well, even he could tell that it was a merman now- face, before he froze in place.

Sea blue eyes were staring straight at him, silky black hair floating about the water as the merman chose to move closer to the glass of the tank to stare at Rin.

But Rin couldn't bring himself to speak. He continued to stare at the merman before he closed his eyes and looked down.

Was it him, or did that merman look _exactly _like Haruka?


	3. Chapter 3

**Aqua**

**Summary****: **AU. In the year of 2068, science is at its finest. With the technology they have now, it was possible to finally get to the bottom of the ocean without the weight of it crushing down on them- but they never expected the mythical creature known as a _mermaid_ to actually exist. RinHaru.

**A****/****N****: **And here is chapter three *Cough cough* Ughhh, so ill...

**Replies:**

**Freedom Fighter- **Ah... Sorry about the chapters being short, I'm not used to writing long chapters ^^' I'm actually used to writing less than 500 words, so... /shot/ a 100 is an achievement for me... Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter~

**OniGiriDreamOtaku- **Hopefully I got your pen name right ^^ Plots always thicken... eventually~ Cliffhangers are amazing :o Hope you enjoy the chapter~

**Clarity in Scarlet- **Ermagerd. Keep saying that now xDD Here's the next chapter~

**therapeuticChoas- **More, more, more- Here's more ;p

**onlyoneperson- **I'm glad you like it :)

**Myanya- **You're hooked onto the story? Wao, I feel flattered :') Here's the next chapter~

* * *

**Chapter ****Three**

Rin didn't know what to think. All he could do was stare at the tank, watching as silky black hair covered the merman's face as he placed two hands on the tank.

Taking a few steps forward, Rin also placed his hands on the tank, causing the merman to tilt his head before flicking his tail so it didn't hit the bottom of the tank.

"Haruka?" red eyes bore into soft blue ones before the merman nodded his head. "... Can you talk?"  
The merman- well, Haruka from the looks of it- didn't open his mouth to speak, but Rin's gut told him he could talk, but not right now. There was silence in the room before Rin looked away from the tank.

"Idiot."

Then he moved his hands away from the tank and walked out the room, causing Haruka to blinked rapidly and back away from the glass of the tank, looking confused and thoughtful at the same time.

**Free****! ****Iwatobi ****Swim ****Club**

Haruka swam around the tank, still looking thoughtful before he bumped into the glass again, getting irked every time he hit his head off it.

His hand rested on the glass again, noting he could see his reflection off it due to the lights around the room. He stared at himself, before looking at his tail, which kept flicking on its own accord. It was usually a sign of agitation- which was odd, since Haruka never felt agitated.

But when he saw Rin have that angered- no, when he saw Rin having that _hurt _expression on his face, he could feel his chest clench painfully.

"_Idiot__."_

What was he meant to do? He couldn't remember what had happened anything before the day he never saw Rin again. He _couldn__'__t_remember how he ended up at the bottom of the ocean, swimming with a bunch of other mermaids and mermen.

He just... _couldn__'__t_. No matter how hard he tried, nothing sprung to mind.

So for many years, he assumed that the person he knew as 'Rin' was all a part of his imagination, a dream so to speak.

Then he was caught in one of those humans nets when he went to the surface. He had been warned plenty times not to go to the surface, at least, not to go to the surface during the day. He didn't listen, he wanted to see the sun, to see these supposedly evil human beings-

And he wanted to know if 'Rin' was a dream or something that actually happened..

When he saw that man enter the room, he knew straight away that the person was Rin- but older and more matured.

The Rin he could remember was a child, while the Rin he saw not long ago was a man. A man that knew who he was. There was no doubt in his mind now, that he had been to the surface as a child and swam with this human.

Humans were not all evil, Haruka had learned.

But why did Rin look like he was hurt after saying his name? Did he do something wrong? Did he upset Rin?

Not knowing caused him to become frustrated to the point he hit his head off the glass again. His thoughts were confused and muddled.

If humans were not as evil as he thought, then why was he here? In such a small, enclosed space? Why did they watch him, cry him a strange creature? What was he to them?

He clutched at his head before tugging at his hair, closing his eyes and swimming around the tank a few times, faster than what he would usually. He had so much energy to burn, but he couldn't do much about that.

Never mind that, he was _hungry_. Honestly, all they did was put seaweed in the water. What happened to fish? Did they forget there was fish in the sea?

Haruka allowed himself to still, before he floated in the water, eyes closed as he took time to calm himself.

The only thing he wanted to think about was Rin. _Rin__._ The person who called him an idiot, yet he didn't mind that. Maybe he was an idiot, an idiot that couldn't work out how he had hurt Rin.

He opened his mouth, a few bubbles escaping his lips before he shut it again.

How could he talk to Rin? Rin wouldn't be able to hear him unless he was outside of the water. Or possibly if Rin was in the water with him. How could he do either though?

Slowly, he fell into a light sleep, only to dream about Rin from years back.

**Free****! ****Iwatobi ****Swim ****Club**

Rin's head was resting on the desk, eyes closed as the old man that brought him in here was rambling away, clearly excited about knowing the name of the merman.

"Well done Matsuoka! Who knew that you would be able to guess the merman's name just from looking at him!" _well__, __correction __old __man__, __I __knew __his __name __from __eight __years __ago__, _was what Rin wanted to mutter, but stayed silent. "I wonder what else you'll be able to find out! I mean, you must have been startled or something because you left the room pretty quickly right after it- but I'm so glad that I brought you here."

"You do realize I can't spend my whole day and night here, right?" Rin spoke, his red eyes flickering open as he raised his head. "I still have to do my training and go to swimming tournaments remember."

"But you can do that and help us out as well, right?"

"... How much free time do you _think_I have?"

Rin was irritated now. In all honesty, he didn't want to come back, simply because he was still in shock over finding Haruka after eight years with a tail and... stuff. He didn't want to come back, because in a way...

It infuriated him. He had only recently gotten over Haruka after _years_of convincing himself that he wasn't coming back. But then this happened. He was annoyed.

He would never admit to being relieved though. Or the fact he was slightly hurt at not knowing his best friend was a mermaid.

"I'll make a deal with you, old man," Rin finally gave into what he had been thinking about- how he could get Haruka to speak to him. "If you let me swim with him at the same time, then I'll give you my time. I'm not doing it in that tank though, it's too small."

"Y-You want... to swim with the merman?" the old man looks astonished as Rin nodded his head. "But how do we-"

"A pool. I'm quite sure if you requested the use of an outside pool for research purposes they wouldn't give a damn. It's publicity for them," Rin rolled his eyes. "If not, then I can't help you."

The old man pursed his lips before speaking.

"We'll see what we can do."

At that, Rin put his head back on the table- hiding the huge grin on his face along with his shark teeth. That was a little too easy to convince an old man.

Maybe now he might be able to talk to Haruka- if he could still talk like a normal human.


	4. Chapter 4

**Aqua**

**Summary: **AU. In the year of 2068, science is at its finest. With the technology they have now, it was possible to finally get to the bottom of the ocean without the weight of it crushing down on them- but they never expected the mythical creature known as a _mermaid_ to actually exist. RinHaru.

**A/N: ***Cough* Dyiiiiing...

**Replies:**

**OniGiriDreamOtaku: **Naah, I've memorized your pen name now, so it's all gewd x3 I made... Rin adorable... asdfsdhgj... Haruka... alksdjfhasd

**onlyoneperson: **Of course he's helping Haru :)

**My Solitude: **Le next chapter is here~ :)

**Myanya: **Curiosity is what keeps the mind going- or something like that :) Here's your _patiently _awaited chapter~

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Haruka had no idea what was going on. In fact, he was kind of scared.

When he woke up, the first thing he noticed was that everything was dark and that he was in shallower water, and that the water was rippling around him. He placed his hands on the ground before he moved his tail to get it wet again.

"At least there's some water..." Haru murmured to himself, before he jolted and slid slightly, hearing shouting somewhere near him.

"Drive slower! Remember what's in the back!"

"Ah, sorry! Sorry!"

Haruka blinked before he felt around in the dark, noting there were walls around him. He also took note that the water was too shallow for him to totally submerge under it.

Flicking his tail, the water splashed slightly before he calmed, laying down until he was on his stomach, dipping his face into the water and blowing bubbles. He didn't like the feeling of being dry, at all.

He stayed like that, ignoring the fact that he could feel the water moving around him- but the instant it stilled he raised his head, a bit confused as to what was going on before he shielded his eyes from light suddenly surrounded him.

He was in a van. Where he was now though he didn't know. He raised his head again as he felt movement, staying silent as he was brought out into the sun.

Haruka flipped his tail, splashing the people who were in the middle of pulling the large tub he was in before he stopped, staring straight ahead of him at the pool he could see.

A pool. Full of water. With Rin swimming in it.

Was he dreaming? That couldn't be right. He flicked his tail again, causing a much larger splash before he tried to crawl out the tub to get to the pool, which alarmed most. It was probably the most movement they'd seen out of Haruka yet.

"Guess he just wants the deeper water," someone spoke, before the people carrying the tub walked to the pools edge. "You sure you want to swim with him Matsuoka?"

Haruka watched as Rin's head poked out the water, pulling the goggles off his head before looking up.

"Yeah." and like that, Haruka felt the rub before tilted right over, causing him to instinctively reach forward as he flopped in the water. He stayed still for a moment before he poked his head back out, shaking his head so that his hair would flick out the way and then focused on Rin.

Who was staring right at him. At the other side of the pool. He blinked softly before Rin suddenly smirked.

"Race me, Haru."

Haruka furrowed his brow before he ducked under the water and swam towards him, appearing by his side moments later. He opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it quickly after no sound came out, quickly glancing to the side.

Rin closed his eyes, putting his goggles back over his eyes before diving under the water before surfacing, swimming with ease until he got to the side, not surprised when he noticed Haru was already there.

How was his legs meant to beat a merman's tail? It was impossible. He turned in the water before using the wall to push against, once again swimming to the other side.

This continued for a few laps until he stopped and looked at Haru.

"I guess you can't talk then, right?" Haruka blinked and opened his mouth to speak again- but nothing was coming out. What was wrong? He knew he could, he just couldn't make it come out. "Not that it matters."

Haruka kept his head down, holding onto the edge of the pool. Rin just continued to swim when he stayed there, thinking to himself once more. To him, Rin was a lot different as to what he was when he was younger.

It was like this cold shell covered him over, but Haruka got see the warmth under it. He wanted to see Rin smile again. But how? He didn't know.

He gripped onto the side of the pool tightly before looking at Rin again, noting the plum-haired male was standing at the other side of the pool, taking his goggles off. Was he leaving now? Haruka was about to swim over, but then stopped and sniffed.

It smelled like fish. Slightly different though. He watched Rin get out, but stayed at the side of the pool before getting a dish which was full of what Haru wanted _badly _now. Quickly swimming over, Haru popped his head out the water, staring at the fish with wide eyes as Rin chose to bite into it.

It was fish. But it smelt... nicer. Haruka opened his mouth, trying to make a noise again- before Rin cut him off.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you liked cooked fish," Rin spoke- yet he was staring at the fish, so it seemed he was talking to himself. Haru knew he was talking to him though. "You want it?"

Haru nodded his head, eyes sparkling when Rin stretched his hand out to offer it to him. He reached up before taking the fish opening his mouth before he finally managed to mumble something.

"...Thank you."

Rin blinked, before sinking back into the water and put his goggles back on, snapping it at the back before a smile, which could easily be mistaken as a smirk, before swimming again.

**Free! Iwatobi Swim Club**

Haru swam for hours on end, with Rin either in front or behind him, he didn't know. He was just happy with Rin swimming with him.

But when he eventually looked up, he noticed it was dark. How could time pass so quickly? It seemed like only five minutes had passed. Haruka opened his eyes before he focused on Rin, who had stopped to catch his slowed moved until he was right beside him, blinking his soft blue eyes slowly.

"Rin?" Haru spoke in the most quiet voice possible- in fact, he was surprised the other male even heard them. "Do those... people... know about-"

"No, they don't," Rin replied. "They won't know either. It's something only I will know."  
"Why?" Haruk then dipped half his head under the water, still staring at Rin with questioning eyes.

"Because," Rin looked down at him. "No one else needs to know. Besides, who is going to believe me that I met you when we were kids?"

"..." Haru glanced to the side. "Mm..."

Rin sunk further down in the water before whispering quietly. "Were you... never human... Haruka?"

"I don't know," Haru replied truthfully. "I don't remember."

Rin sighed before he got out of the pool, much to Haru's confusion.

"It's time to go. We'll come back to the pool in the morning. You need to go back to the research centre," Haru could only nod his head. He wasn't happy about going back, but if Rin told him to go he would. "I'll see you in the morning, Haru."

Rin walked off and went into the building whilst Haru just looked up at the people who kneeled down beside him.

"Have fun Haru?" they asked him, but he stayed silent. He didn't know what to say to people who were only interested in what kind of creature he was. He merely pushed himself out of the pool, sitting on the wet edge before he felt them help him up and into his tub again.

He couldn't wait until tomorrow. It would be another good day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Aqua**

**Summary: **AU. In the year of 2068, science is at its finest. With the technology they have now, it was possible to finally get to the bottom of the ocean without the weight of it crushing down on them- but they never expected the mythical creature known as a _mermaid_ to actually exist. RinHaru.

**A/N: **Meh. Just meh.

**Replies:**

**OniGiriDreamOtaku: **;p Like the flow of my writing? Warning, it can be nice one moment and awful the next-  
Of course he could talk, I'd get confused if he couldn't talk xD

**onlyoneperson: **I don't know either-  
Hooked? I wouldn't say the story was _that _good o-o, I feel flattered~

**Clarity in Scarlet: **Thanks :D -Just woke up and took ten full minutes to process your review- Hope you enjoy the next chapter-

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Rin was jogging. Jogging with his big headphones on and ignoring the rest of the world- not that there were many people awake at this time, but even if it was later in the day, he'd act the exact same way.

It had been over two weeks now since both he and Haruka started swimming in the pool and he could feel himself started to feel a lot better. Haruka looked happier to him too. It was a nice feeling in his chest.

Thankfully, everyone had stopped talking about Haruka, mainly because they finally thought he didn't actually exist, others for reasons Rin would never know.

As he approached the Iwatobi research centre, he noticed a few people, wearing hoodies, darting past him quickly. Maybe on a running team? Rin had never seen people run so fast so early in the morning before. It was always people jogging or early work starts.

But then he stopped, when he heard loud alarms going off from the Iwatobi Research Centre, loud enough that it got through his headphones. How anyone got in when the gate wasn't open was a wonder though. He tapped in the code before walking through the gate, making sure it shut behind him before walking into the building-

And got grabbed by the shoulders by the old man that brought him here. Still didn't know his name. Which was pretty bad. Yeah.

"Matsuoka, this is awful!"

"Your alarm is broken and is giving everyone a headache?" murmured Rin, looking around himself. "Better get it fixed old man-"

"No, someone had actually broken in! We couldn't stop them though!"

Rin paused, before he glowered.

Track runners. They weren't track runners at all.

"What did they take?" he questioned, watching the old man flail his arms. "I'm guessing something important?"

"They didn't take anything!" Rin looked irked when he said this.

"Then why are you making such a big deal-"

"They smashed open Haruka's tank!"

Rin was off the instant he heard that, running off down a hallway before noticing the room Haruka was in was open- well, open because it was kicked in, before he noticed the amount of water all over the floor. He walked in, seeing a few people in the room, kneeling by the tank before he looked inside.

His eyes widened when he saw Haruka just laying at the bottom of it, eyes screwed shut and shaking. Glass was everywhere, but the first thing he noticed with the little nicks and cuts all over Haruka's arms-

And then the glass embedded in his tail.

"M-Matsuoka-san..." Rin snapped out of it before looking at the men kneeling by the tank. "W-We don't know what to do... every time we move him he starts thrashing..."

Rin moved forward before moving as slowly as he could through the smashed gap in the tank, a bit of glass catching on his cheek and causing it t bleed, but he ignored it to kneel next to Haru, allowing his bottom half to get soaked.

"Haru. Look at me," slowly, soft blue eyes opened up and Haru's head moved. "We need to get you out of here, you're bleeding."

Haruka shook his head before he tried to move, only to screw his face up and go still again. Rin looked up at his tail, before thinking.

"_True, if he moved his tail just slightly, every muscle in it would move. That's probably why it's hurting him so much," _Rin sat on his knees before he wrapped his arms under Haru's shoulder and pulled him up, causing a loud hiss to come from him, but ignored it so that he could have Haru laying on his lap.

Haru could only glance up and stare at Rin, staying still and settling with Rin's arms around him. He felt Rin lean over, before a soft whisper brushed against his legs.

"Do you remember how to get legs?" was all Rin said, causing Haruka to blink in confusion. "You've had them once, you can have them again."

"I-It's not easy to do... It takes a lot of energy..." Haru mumbled before closing his eyes. "Why...?"

"You'd just be in a lot less pain with legs than the tail."

Haru closed his eyes and thought about it. He himself knew that his tail could be shedded off like a skin and he could get his legs again, but he'd probably pass out and possibly not wake up for a few days. Was it really worth it? Probably, he was hurting so much right now..

Plus, in a way, he wanted to be the same as Rin, to be human. They could walk together. Like all other humans.

"Fine..." Haruka whispered quietly, making Rin strain to hear over the alarms. "I'll... I'll use my energy to get legs, just... promise to look after me..."

Rin blinked rapidly before he nodded his head, taking Haruka's hands in his own. He felt Haru relax against him, taking a deep breath in before closing his eyes. To Rin, it looked like Haru had fallen asleep, but he could feel a firm grip on both his hands which showed he wasn't.

He glanced to the side, noticing that a lot of people were cleaning up the glass and were waiting for Rin to do something. But there wasn't anything he could do. He was waiting for Haru to-

He quickly looked back at Haru when he felt the grip on his hands go slack and felt Haru's body slump against him before he quickly looked at his tail.

It looked almost as if Haru had been wearing a fake tail that was now torn because of the glass- but Rin knew better. He picked Haru up before feeling the tail off, staring at the pair of bloody legs in front of him.

After that, he carefully moved out of the tank, making sure he was the one getting cut from the shard sticking out rather than Haru before kneeling down, placing the unconscious male on the ground.

"I-Incredible... he has... legs..."

"Old man, you shouldn't be thinking about that right now," Rin growled, irritation finally getting the better of him. "He needs medical attention."

"H-Hai..."

Rin closed his eyes, eyebrow twitching before he pulled the sleeping Haru against his chest, hugging him gently.

**Free! Iwatobi Swim Club**

Rin sat in a chair, staring at white sheets as they raised up and down from steady breathing before his gaze was brought up to where the pillows were, but he couldn't bring himself to look at Haruka's face.

Why couldn't he bring himself to look at Haruka's face? Because he felt somewhat guilty. What if... What if he had arrived just a little bit earlier? Maybe this wouldn't have happened?

All he knew was, his heart ached a bit when he saw Haru in pain. His heart ached watching Haru lay there, looking lifeless and pale. It shouldn't have happened. Today should have been like all the other days- they would have went to the pool, swam around and talked to one another and ate fish.

Rin knew Haru loved doing that everyday, yet most people would hate the repetitivness. Leaned over, Rin brushed a bit of hair away from Haru's face, staring at the plasters that coated one side of his face- much like his own actually. After Haru was taken away to get treated, he was dragged off to get his back and arms tended to.

He never noticed how deep the glass cut until he looked at himself. He wasn't bothered by it though. He was perfectly fine compared to Haru.

The old man had theorized that when the tank had been smashed, Haruka must have been pretty close to it and the force of the water rushing out must have caused him to hit his tail off the sharp shards whilst getting away from it.

All Rin wanted to know was who broke into the Centre so he could murder them. Plus, why would they break into such a place only to do that? It seemed plain stupid. Not only could they have killed Haru, they would have gotten beaten to a bloody pulp after he found them.

He relaxed back and sighed.

"Wake up."

Silence.

"Wake up, idiot."

More silence. Rin knew he wasn't going to wake up any time soon, but he wanted him to wake up, badly.

But Haru was dreaming. Dreaming about _that day..._

**Free! Iwatobi Swim Club**

_'Surprised hardly anyone's here,' Rin spoke, looking around the beach and watched a few younger kids play in the sand. 'It's sunny, so why is no one out?'_

_'That swimming tournament at the school is taking place now, a lot of people are going there because some of the fastest teen swimmers are there.' said Haru, brushing his black hair away from his eyes. Rin glanced at him and then closed his eyes and grinned._

_'You wouldn't mind that, now would you? You near enough get the water to yourself!' he laughed, before opening his eyes when he heard a splash. Haru had dived into the water the instant he could. He swam deeper before floating there, allowing the colder water to hit him with a soft smile on his face, legs and arms stilling. He allowed himself to stay there, his blue eyes opening to look up, not being affected when salt water hit his eyes. 'Where'd you go? I know you're a fast swimmer and all, but you're not that fast!'_

_Haruka could only keep smiling, before he moved to swim back up-_

_But then strong hands grabbed onto his ankles, causing him to freeze up before he kicked his legs out, trying to free his legs from the vice grip, but he was failing badly. He held his breath, looking down before seeing long hair floating around his ankles, but he couldn't see who it was._

_All he could see was a dark, green, scaly tail which alarmed him more._

'_Haruka?'_

_Haru could still hear Rin speaking at the surface, but his voice sounded distant to him. He heard a splash, meaning Rin had dived in to find him- but the hands holding onto his ankles pulled him down deeper._

_He opened his mouth to try and make a noise, but then a few bubbles escaped his mouth. At this rate, he would drown. He kicked out again, feeling his lungs scream at him for oxygen before he went still, a few more bubbles escaping his mouth before he closed his eyes._

_Slowly, his legs turned back into a tail and he passed out cold._

_He hated it. He loved water. But he loved being in water with the person he loved._

_Not with his own kind. The kind that hate humanity. His head had a dull ache, even in his unconscious state before he was dragged under by those strong hands; far, far away from the surface._

_Far, far away from Rin._


	6. Chapter 6

**Aqua**

**Summary: **AU. In the year of 2068, science is at its finest. With the technology they have now, it was possible to finally get to the bottom of the ocean without the weight of it crushing down on them- but they never expected the mythical creature known as a _mermaid_ to actually exist. RinHaru.

**A/N: Thank you to- onlyoneperson, Aetoii, Clarity in Scarlet, Ultravioletlex, Myanya, shards of a sonata, guest, of fan and fic- for reviewing the last chapter. Why am I not responding to the reviews? Well, I've already tried do, several times, but my computer keeps closing off the webpage for no apparent reason and I got annoyed with having to write the same things over and over-**

**But don't worry, I'll respond to all your reviews through PM (eventually). Sorry Guest, I can't actually respond through PM to you, but thank you so much for taking the time to Review :)**

**Be warned, this chapter could have been a lot better than what it is, but I've been horribly ill these past few days. Not been thinking straight. Anyway, enjoy~**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Haruka's eyes fluttered open, a soft gasp escaping him before he looked around, eyes hazy before they found Rin sitting beside him, softening when he noticed the other male was sound asleep, a blanket wrapped around him.

He continued to stare at Rin for some time, before he noticed that his head was laying on something soft and something light was covering him before he glanced down. He was tucked up in blankets himself, his blue eyes staring at the white material before he reached down and pulled it off.

His eyes were focused on the bandages covering his legs- all he wanted to do was rip the things off, but he knew that probably wasn't a good idea. He sighed before he looked up, pausing before trying to figure out where he was.

It was a bedroom. With hardly anything in it.

In fact... it reminded him of Rin's bedroom. From years ago.

… It wasn't actually Rin's bedroom, was it?

He up, wincing slightly before he paused, feeling the room spin slightly- but before he fell over he felt Rin's arm around his waist and a glass of water pressed against his lips.

"Idiot. You should have woke me up first," Haru didn't even respond to it, his eyes too focused on the glass of water under his nose before his mouth opened up. "You need to-"

Rin stopped talking as he stared at Haru's face, which looked blissful as he drank the water out of the glass, eyes closed. He couldn't help but watch- when he was younger, he knew Haru loved water, but he had never seen such a blissful expression on his face before.

It just showed that Haru really needed water.

Rin kept his arm round the other's waist, watching as all the water was quickly drank before Haru leaned back, opening his eyes again.

"...Is this your bedroom?" Haru asked slowly, looking around it once more. "It looks like it..."

Rin nodded his head and glanced around himself, yet there wasn't really much to see, at all.

"Why am I here?" Rin blinked before he sighed and rubbed his head.

"It's not as if we could take you back to the Research Clinic, so the old man permitted me to bring you here," he then closed his eyes. "And really, your appearance is like anyone elses, it's not as if I have anything to hide."

Haru blinked before he nodded his head, his mood lifting a bit before he looked at Rin with his soft blue eyes.

"Can I have fish?"

**Free! Iwatobi Swim Club**

It was a strange feeling. Walking beside Haru after all these years. This time, however, was different.

This time he was holding onto Haru's arm as he walked very slowly, seemingly unsure about taking steps forward. People looked at them in the street- but Rin didn't care and Haru didn't even notice. People just found it a bit strange that someone like Haru, who looked to have the body of someone who worked out every day, was struggling to walk.

The things they didn't know.

"You're doing good," Rin said, noticing the look of frustration crossing Haru's face. "You'll get the hang of it soon enough."

Rin's eyes then trailed down to Haru's legs, staring at the bandages. No matter how much he tried to make Haru stay in bed, the black-haired male wanted to see the ocean. Badly. He eventually gave in to him and was now helping him along.

Considering how injured Haru was, he was doing a pretty good job at walking. It wasn't long before they reached the beach, Rin watching as he saw Haru's eyes light up at the sight of the ocean. He actually his to increase his grip on Haru to make sure he didn't try and jump in it like the last time.

But Rin didn't know what Haru was really thinking.

Haru, as much as he loved it, didn't want to get too close right now. He was afraid that those hands would reach up and try to pull him under again. Far, far away from Rin. Haru was sure that if he was dragged down again, he wouldn't manage to get close to the surface again.

So he stared at it from where he stood in the sand, before closing his eyes and somewhat leaning on Rin as his legs got sore.

"See, I told you coming out was a bad idea," Rin spoke, Haru looking up at him questioningly. "You're hurting your legs."

"They'll heal quickly in water," Haruka then shrugged. "But I'm not going into the ocean."

"What was the point of us coming here then?"

"To look at it."

Rin merely rubbed his head before he turned.

"Lets go back, you can take a bath," Haru nodded before turning with him, still gripping onto Rin's arm tightly.

Little did they know a few people sitting on the ocean walls were watching them, their hoods covering their faces. The instant they left, one of them got up and followed, just from a far distance.

**Free! Iwatobi Swim Club**

Whilst Haruka was relaxing in the bath, Rin couldn't believe that the water was actually healing the cuts and gashes up to a point that they were almost gone. He then looked up at Haru, mentally telling himself he needed to get the other male his own swimsuit- not that he minded Haru wearing his ones, but he needed his.

He sat against the tub, checking the messages on his phone, only to get irked with the amount he had from the _old man_.

That stupid old man didn't even know how to use a phone. The amount of messages he had were because the old man had fragmented all his messages.  
He should have gave him his email. That would have been so much easier.

"Rin?"

"Hm?" Rin looked up and then to the side, noticing Haruka's arms were leaning on the side of the tub as he looked at him.

"Are you okay? You were acting funny while we were at the beach."

"Was I?"

Haru nodded. Although he didn't do anything that would give off something was bothering him, Haru could feel something was up with him. But he didn't bother saying anything until it got to a point he had to ask.

Rin, in response, merely shrugged before looking back at his phone.

"It was nothing."

Deep inside, Rin dreaded having Haruka near the ocean now. He didn't want to risk Haru disappearing on him for years on end again. In a way, the ocean was like a cursed person that took Haru away from him.

Haru closed his eyes and relaxed before mumbling softly, but the words weren't coherent to be understood. Rin leaned back and sighed before he patted Haruka's hand.

"Don't you think it's time to come out now?"

"No."

And at that, Rin couldn't help but burst out laughing.


End file.
